BT is to create more than 1,000 engineering jobs to install household fibre broadband connections.

Of the new recruits, 400 will be apprentices on a training scheme that lasts two and a half years, and BT is hoping a further 200 jobs will go to those retiring from the armed forces.

Demand for faster internet speeds has been picking up as construction of the UK's fibre network gathers pace. In rural areas, the build-out is being funded by the government's Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) project, for which BT has so far won all the contracts.

BT has already hired 1,500 engineers in the past year, and after the new recruitment wave, it will have 6,000 people working on its fibre build.

Its apprentice scheme has been oversubscribed at a rate of 40 applicants for every place, with 18,500 vying for the 460 trainee engineer posts filled to date.

The new intake will spend a year working for BT's Openreach business, installing lines in homes, before going on to learn the full range of engineering tasks. Apprentices will also complete maths, English and technology courses, and will receive diplomas.

David Cameron welcomed the new jobs. The prime minister said that creating a faster broadband network was "vital for driving investment and equipping the UK to compete and thrive in the global race".